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The American eel
First lesson – the American eel is not an eel; it’s a fish, a long, slippery, snake like fish
once a major player in the commercial fishing market. Especially for the very
consumptive European market. Until the 1990’s it was one of the top three fish species
harvested in Lake Ontario. Fishing for the American eel was banned in 2004 in Ontario
where it had been declared an endangered species under the Species at Risk (SARO)
Act. Power dams and turbines have been known to blend them into fish bait. Warmer
water and water quality may also play a role in their diminished numbers.
Ontario Power Generation, the Ontario MNR and the federal Department of Fisheries
and Oceans (DFO) purchased over 4 million eels during 2006 - 2010 from Nova Scotia
fishermen where the fish is plenteous. The American eel was driven to Ontario
destinations among the Thousand Islands, east of Kingston and the Bay of Quinte.
They were marked for ID purposes.
Am. Eel habitat does not extend past Niagara Falls. Its population declined 99% from
1970 to 2006 in the Upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario (COSEWIC 2006).
Gender Flex
Young eels aren’t gender biased. Several factors come into play such as the proximity
to other eels. When eels are surrounded by eels they often become male; when they
are apart – female. The sooner they are stocked the sooner they can separate to
become female which apparently is critical as sperm is abundant, eggs in short supply.
Estimations state inland Canadian waters are predominated by 95% females; whereas
the males tend to congregate closer to the ocean.
The American eel must swim to the Sargasso Sea in the mid-Atlantic to spawn.
Sexually mature eels don’t eat and so feed off themselves consuming their digestive
tracts seeking nutrients. They burn up what they don’t use. There is a concern that the
stocked eels may not be big enough to fulfill their mandate. On going studies are trying
to find answers to these questions.
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Eric Smith, of the Arnprior & District F&G Club, is a Director with Zone E of the Ontario
Federation of Anglers & Hunters. He has volunteered substantial time, energy and
hours towards studying the American eel on the Ottawa River for the past few years.
Smith said that one of the best times to set a trap net is at ice breakup, when the water
temperature is about 5 degrees C. “It’s best prior to the Bullhead run,” he said.
Transmitters are surgically implanted for the study. “They swim 6000 km to the
Sargasso Sea.” Freshwater to salt water. Readers won’t be shocked to learn that the
eels die after spawning. “Everyone wants to know why we are studying the Lamprey
eel,” said Smith. “I tell them the American eel is a fish; it’s not the lamprey.” Much to
their surprise.
During the study one Am. Eel was tracked “almost to Montreal.” Initially, the study,
which focuses on the area of the Ottawa between Portage and Fitzroy Harbour, netted
only two eels and they could only implant one transmitter as “the other eel gill plate
was damaged and we didn’t want to stress it any more.” In 2009, the passive
integrated transponder (PIT tag) replaced the Floy anchor tag for additional
information.
They fly all year – once a month during winter and weekly spring/summer. By boat they
get a more accurate GPS reading of eel locations.
Overall they have netted 36 eel for tracking purposes from 2008 to 2012. Smith is
hoping for some temporary eel ladders to be in place for 2013. Public Education about
the American eel and its recovery in the Ottawa are paramount.
Christine Luckasavitch, of the Whitney and Area Algonquins, in conversation with
Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) discovered that historically the Am. Eel was a highly
valued trade item. She recorded that in the 1620’s Samuel de Champlain reported that
Indigenous people along the Ottawa were very skilled at fishing for eel and were hard
bargainers. On the verge of starvation, Champlain’s men traded one beaver pelt for 10
eels. Her report concluded that “it is apparent that eel were extremely abundant in the
Ottawa River until recent times and that their decline coincided with the building of
hydroelectric dams in the Ottawa River basin.”
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Hydroelectric development began on the Ottawa River around 1880. (The St.
Lawrence watershed has over 8000 dams that interfere with prime eel freshwater
habitat restricting spawning eels from reaching saltwater.) Luckasavitch also noted
that those over 65 who spoke of the eel did so with understanding and respect. “In
comparison, a number of individuals from younger generations thought the eel to be
slimy, gross and snake-like. This illustrates the extent of disconnect we now have from
the eel as it is no longer present in our waters.”
VOCABULARY
Diadromous fish spend part of their life cycle in saltwater, part in freshwater.
Catadromous species like eels are required to migrate to saltwater to spawn but spend
most of their lives in freshwater.
Anthropogenic barriers such as dams fragment rivers and effect a decline in the quality
of habitats in those rivers impacting migrating fish species.
CONCLUSION
As THEY say, the more you know the more you know you need to know and that
applies to this Am. Eel study as well. Will the stocking of east coast eel pay dividends
and help the eel population recover? Perhaps we will have an indication by 2015.
Perhaps. In the meantime, federation volunteers such as Eric Smith continue to
dedicate themselves to helping find out.
LICENCE FEES
The photo accompanying this column shows two turkey licences. The one on the left,
from Service Ontario, shows the breakdown: $24.83+HST $3.23=$28.06. The licence
on the right side, obtained by phone presumeably from the U.S.: $19.85+$3.23=
$23.08. Which poses a few questions. Perhaps the Americans are employing the NEW
math that Ontario tried teaching, before dumping, years ago? Regardless, the licence
holder of the cheaper ticket still had to pay the full cost of $28.06.
AND FINALLY…
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“Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries
to rich people in poor countries.” Douglas Case, Classmate of Bill Clinton at
Georgetown University.
Photo – 2 turkey licences.
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